Cyril Ramaphosa

SCORE: C- Three years into his tenure, Enoch Godongwana continues to navigate his job with a “tough love” approach, mirroring his predecessor, Tito Mboweni, an advocate of austerity. His reappointment following national elections reassured markets, signalling continuity and emphasised his commitment to fiscal discipline. Godongwana set a fiscal deficit target of 3.4% of GDP by […]

SCORE: E When the ministry of energy was removed from his portfolio, Gwede Mantashe was quick to clarify it was not a demotion but an opportunity to elevate petroleum, which had “long played second fiddle” to other sources in the energy sector. Central to this is his Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Act, which will fast-track […]

SCORE: E The justice minister must, like Caesar’s wife, be beyond suspicion. Thembi Simelane never met that standard and her six-month tenure was remarkable only as time spent denying credible corruption allegations, rather than showing the decency to step aside. The justice minister holds final political responsibility for the embattled National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which […]

SCORE: C+ Senzo Mchunu inherited a particularly problematic under-resourced police department that is still recovering from the ravages of state capture. He appears to hold a long view regarding transforming the police service and is open to new ideas. He appreciates the depth of the problems facing him and that even with the resources the […]

SCORE: A Patricia de Lille is seen as humble, accessible and responsive to concerns of the industry, which sees her as a welcome team player. She has intervened immediately when safety issues affecting tourists have been brought to her attention, getting hold of the police and other authorities to take action. De Lille has taken […]

SCORE: C Siviwe Gwarube has steadily made her influence felt. A major development was the signing of the controversial Basic Education Laws Amendment (Bela) Act in September, which Gwarube objected to but said she would implement. The minister has outlined plans for 2025 and has been strict on funding. She halted the R9.8 billion National […]

SCORE: B Velenkosini Hlabisa quickly brought both structure and order to South Africa’s most dysfunctional tier of government, reading them the riot act over unpaid Eskom and water board debts. He has established an inter-ministerial committee focused on improving audit outcomes at all 257 municipalities and has intervened in a number of stalled municipal infrastructure […]

SCORE: B Ronald Lamola has brought his particular blend of principle and pragmatism to foreign affairs. So far, so good. He rightly wants South Africa to stand for more on the international stage than solidarity with Palestine. The question is what. Lamola is lucid about the risks of the Donald Trump presidency and the rights […]

SCORE: C Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s tenure in 2024 saw legislative advancements, including the tabling of the Public Service Amendment Bill and Public Administration Management Amendment Bill, aimed at restructuring South Africa’s public service. These efforts align with her vision of a professional public sector, which she promised in her 2024 budget speech. Operation Vulindlela, which gained […]

SCORE: C+ It was a blessing for South Africans and foreign nationals when Gayton McKenzie was named minister of sports, arts and culture instead of home affairs. And it was surprising when the Patriotic Alliance leader acted decisively by pulling the plug on “superfan” funding. Last year, R1.3  million of taxpayers’ money was spent on sending […]

SCORE: D Before Mmamoloko Kubayi was moved to the department of justice and constitutional development on 3 December, the minister appeared to have had a good handle on the human settlements portfolio. It received a clean audit during the 2023-23 financial year, and there was no fruitless and wasteful expenditure either. The minister stabilised her […]

SCORE: B In his first six months leading the department of trade, industry and competition, Parks Tau has made effective moves. He led the delegation to the United States to lobby for the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa) agreement. Alongside other African ministers of trade Tau urged the Biden administration and […]